1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a system for reducing the shock and vibration transmitted to a missile in a launcher. Specifically, the invention relates to a system for reducing shock and vibration transmitted to a missile in a launcher by providing selective variation of the force/deflection characteristics of the launch and stowage pads in the annular space between the missile and the launcher.
2. Description of Prior Art
Launch pads and stowage pads are used in present missile launching systems to maintain missile alignment, mitigate shock and vibration, and to provide lateral support to the missile during launch. Present systems use a plurality of pad units containing chevron shaped struts to perform these functions. The force/deflection characteristics of these struts have a desirable characteristic plateau which allows a fair amount of lateral excursion at a relatively constant force. Due to the segmented nature of the pad units and the curved annular space, however, the desirable plateau characteristic is considerably diminished when the overall pad row (ring level) force/deflection characteristics are developed. The present invention avoids this limitation and provides a space efficient suspension system which generates a constant restoring force over a relatively large range of motion in any direction. Thus it essentially provides a structure which can attain the desirable plateau characteristic even at the ring level.
The multiple functions of the launcher lateral support system mentioned above usually necessitate compromises in conventional pad designs to allow creation of a set of lateral support system force/deflection curves which can perform all of the required functions of any selected launcher mode within adequate but not optimum limits. These adequate but not optimum limits are dictated by the performance limitations of a conventional pad system and by the need to meet a variety of operational modes with a single characteristic set of force/deflection curves. The hybrid pad unitizer system offers two principal advantages. One is that the greater design flexibility of a hybrid pad unitizer system allows a more ideal set of force/deflection characteristics to be created. The second advantage is that the proposed hybrid pad unitizer system may be made externally adjustable such that the force/deflection characteristics can be modified to optimize the lateral support system performance for the particular launcher mode. This allows construction of an adjustable lateral support system whose force/deflection characteristics can be modified to best suit the launcher mode.